Improvement in chargers for filling the magazines of guns



T GPBE NNETT. Charger for Filling the Magazines of Guns.

No. 211,691 7 Patented Jan; 28,1879;

I .Fdl.

\ N1 PETERS, PHOTO-LITHOGRAPHER WASHINGTON. D C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THoMAsc. BENNETT, on NEW HAVEN, ooNNEcTIcUT, ASSIGNOR T0 THE WINCHESTER REPEATING ARMS 60., OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN CHARGERS FOR FILLING THE MAGAZINES 0F GUNS.

. Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 211,691, dated January 28, 1879; application filed October 19, 1878.

' To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, THOMAS G. BENNETT, of New Haven, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented certain Improvements in Devices forLoading the Magazines of Repeating-Guns, of which the following is a specification:

My invention relates to the loading of the magazine in magazine-guns; and it consists of a charge-tube so constructed that it can be filled with a supply of cartridges and retain them until needed, and then, by properly applying the tube to the opening leading to the magazine, all the cartridges can be instantaneously transferred to the magazine, ashereinafter more fully set forth.

Figure 1 is a top-plan view of the apparatus as applied to aWinchester repeatinggun, a portion being shown in section. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the charger, and Fig. 3 is a side View of that portion of the gun to which the charger is applied.

In the ordinary use of magazine-guns it is necessary, after the magazine has been exhausted of its cartridges, to refill it by inserting the cartridges by hand, one at a time,.and this necessarily consumes considerable time.

It is the object of my present invention to obviate this delay by providing a device by which the magazine can be filled nearly or quite as soon as a single cartridge can be inserted in the ordinary way. i

To accomplish this result I provide a tube, B, of any required length, and of the proper diameter to permit the cartridges to be shoved into it freely, as represented in Fig. 1. This tube is provided with a sliding block or follower, D, which is connected to a th umb-piece, G, placed on the outside of the tube by means of a screw or rivet, which works freely in a slot cut lengthwise of the tube, as shown in Fig. 1. At its lower end or mouth the tube B is provided with a shoe or mouth-piece, I, arranged diagonally, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and on its under front side this mouth-piece I is'provided with a projection or lip, c, to engage with or hook under the edge of the plate through which the cartridges are to be passed into the magazine, as shown in Fig. 1, it being in this instance represented as usedwith aWinwith the lip 6, enables the tube to be quickly applied, and keeps it from being moved laterally.

A detent or pivoted catch, b, is arranged at one side of the tube B, at its lower or open end, in such a manner that its rear end will engage in front of the flange of each cartridge to as they are shoved into the tube, and which will thus hold the cartridges securely in 'the tube after it has been filled, and until said detent shall be released.

In order to release the detent automatically when the charger is applied to the arm, a small projection, 0, is arranged in such aposition that the front end of the detent will bear thereon when the charger is applied to the opening, as shown in Fig. 1, this projection 0 being shown at the rear side of the opening F in Fig. 3. In order to leave this projection 0 flush with the face of the side plate of the frame, it is formed by cutting a small recess, I, on each side of it in the face of the plate, as shown in Fig. 1, and more clearly in Fig. 3. If preferred, however, it may be made in any other manner, or if the front end of the detent be made to project outward a proper distance, so that when it is brought in contact with the plate its front end shall be pressed inward far enough to throw its rear end out of contact with the cartridges, then there will be no necessity for the projection 0 on the side of the gun. I prefer to make the parts as represented, however, for the reason that as the projecting ribs between which the detent is pivoted fit into the recesses l l on the receiver, these parts serve as a guide or means of assisting to hold the tube B in the proper position, so that the cartridges will readily pass from it into the magazine.

It is obvious that instead of the pivoted detent a spring hook or detent may be used, its front endbein g beveled to permit the cartridges to pass by it as they are inserted in the tube B. In that case its front end would have to be extended down far enough to reach the side plate of the arm and have its point beveled, so as to enter under an inclined lip or projection to draw its hook out of the Way of the cartridges when the charger was applied to the arm.

With this charging device thus constructed, it will be seen that the magazine of the gun can be refilled in an instant, it only being necessary to apply the loaded charger to the opening leading to the magazine, and by shoving down the follower D force the Whole of the cartridges into the magazine at one operation. By having a series of these charges ready filled a soldier can keep up a continuous fire for any length of time required, and thus the efficiency of the arm and of the person using it may be greatly increased.

While I have shown my invention as applied or used in connection with a Winchester gun, it is obvious that it may also be used with other styles of magazine-guns, and I so intend to apply it, it only being necessary to so modify its mouth as to adapt it to the orifice or opening through which the cartridges are inserted into the different or various forms of magazine-guns, and this any skilled mechanic can readily do.

When used for military purposes the soldier may be provided with a suitable case for carryin g a number of these chargers ready filled,

and thus dispense with the cartridge-box, these answering instead, and at the same time enabling him to charge his magazine with a great saving of time, and which in an emergency is often of vital importance.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim isp 1. A charger for loading magazines of repeating-guns, consisting of the slotted tube A, of a size and form to present the cartridges endwise, provided with the follower I) and thumb-piece C, the spring-(latent b, and the inclined shoe 1, all constructed and arranged to operate substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The charge-tube B ,provided with the shoe or mouth-piece I, having a lip or projection, 0, arranged to engage under the wall or edge of the opening in the gun, substantially as set forth.

3. The charge-tube B, havingits mouth provided with an inclined shoe or mouth-piece, I, with a flange or projection, r, arranged to fit in the opening in the gun, substantially as shown, whereby the charger is held in position, as shown and described.

T. Gr. BENNETT.

Witnesses DANIEL H. VEADER, J osEPH J. SWEENEY.. 

